Tuesday February 9th, 2010
- Last update:14 hours 36 min ago
$500,000 bail for truck driver in ‘Creek’ crash
Published: 22 Aug 2009
Truck driver Balton Barnwell is led to court yesterday by a police officer. Barnwell faces five charges of causing death by dangerous driving. Photo: Innis Francis
Truck driver Balton Barnwell, who is charged with five counts of causing death by dangerous driving spent last night in jail after his family was unable to secure $.5 million bail earlier in the day. Barnwell,70, of Delhi Road, Fyzabad, waved to family members as he was escorted to a prison van to be taken to Remand Yard in Port of-Spain. He appeared before Magistrate Indira Misir-Hosein in the San Fernando court charged with causing death by dangerous driving. Rajesh Ramnarine, Rishi Ramlogan, Sachin Maharaj, Sachin Singh and Rajkumar Deonarine were killed last week Saturday when the van in which they were travelling was hit by a truck at Mosquito Creek, La Romaine.
The victims were on their way to the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain to attend the Balls of Fire cricket event. Yesterday was Barnwell’s second court appearance within a week. On Monday, he appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington charged with using obscene language at the scene of the accident. Dressed in a grey and white shirt and wearing a pair of blue jeans, Barnwell bowed his head as the charges were read to him yesterday. In court yesterday, Barnwell’s lawyer Ramesh Deena said his client was sorry for what had happened and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
Deena said Barnwell had been employed with Junior Sammy Contractors as a lorry driver for the past five years. He said his client, who has had history of medical problems, had his first brush with the law when the accident occurred last week Saturday. “My client has been in custody since Wednesday night and wants approval to see his private doctor. He is willing to submit to any conditions the court may impose. He is not a flight risk so we are asking for bail,” Deena said. In considering bail, Hosein asked Deena if his client assisted and co-operated with the police in their investigations. The matter was adjourned to August 28.
Not even Junior Sammy et al
Not even Junior Sammy et al will post bail for his staff member.
If this man had a history of medical problems, what is the responsibility of the employer to determine that the employee is fit and proper and can handle a dump truck at age 70?
How responsible has this employer been?
We need to know!
Responsible? He was hired at
Responsible?
He was hired at age 65 according to the report, which is the age at which most companies mandatorily retire employees. However, there are special requirements for a regular "class 3" Driver's Permit from age 65, surely such requirements are even more stringently applied for Heavy T drivers?
More to the point, however, is whether his age or medical problems were in any way being claimed as a cause of the accident. Or was it just the usual big truck driver's attitude "let everybody else look out because nothing will hurt me in this big truck", where they drive as they please with no regard to rules or anyone else's safety? There has not been any clear indication in the news stories.
I hope that this incident
I hope that this incident will be a deterent to other truck drivers who feelthat they are up there looking down on the smaller drivers. This driver now faces the court to answer charges.
What you say is true. But
What you say is true.
But you are employed at age 65 to drive a heavy dump truck, surely the employer has a responsibility to ensure that the person employed is fit and proper and can carry out the function especially as you employ the man at age 65, and if he had a history of medical problems more so! Did the employer do any annual medical screening as part of their employment practices when they employed the man? Or don't they have any? Why leave it up to the requirements of the drivers license alone?
I am not absolving the driver in any way and he did display the attitude you described and this was manifested in his use of abusive language for which he was charged. But to assist in cleaning up of this and the prevention or lessening (?) of future occurrences of this kind the employment practices of the employer must be taken into account also, and they must be improved.
Firstly, I was shocked and
Firstly, I was shocked and truly disappointed in this man because the papers said that he was cussing at the scene of the accident, imagine seeing dead, nearly dying children lying on the road, in the van etc, and relatives grieving, and then showing no sign of compassion or even attempting to help, you tend to think, is he at all human?! Now, however, when I look at him, so vulnerable, old with health issues, i cannot forget his initial reaction, but do pity him. Maybe, instead of jailing him, they should ban him from driving for life, and he should be forced to visit the relatives of the dead to see and experience their grief, maybe then he'll fully understand the impact of his actions.
Ban Him from driving?? Nah I
Ban Him from driving?? Nah I have to disagree there, Besides theoretically speaking, do you think that would be enforced in Trinidad?? within 2hours he'll be back behind the wheel with carib in hand...
Also, Quote:"Barnwell’s lawyer Ramesh Deena said his client was sorry for what had happened and extended condolences to the bereaved families." - WOW! I've never read of a fart coming from a mouth before and in a court room no matter!!! That lawyer should just hush and fold his arms..I guess sorry now means to cuss and carry on like a irate buffoon at a tragic accident that you caused.
Conglomerates like these
Conglomerates like these absolve themselves from any and all responsibility as they only consider the bottom line.
Highly paid advisors, spokesmen and lawyers do the company's bidding.
Just ask any big company.
Hey what about the father
Hey what about the father and son which burned to death after a speeding AUDI suv collided with them? Oh right it's a Karamath.
I'm glad people are being charged for reckless driving but there has been at least 10 case like this for the year so far one man got charged; this will deter who?
What job was he doing? on a
What job was he doing? on a Sunday...was this an industrial project of the sort? was it a public or private contract? usually the EMA requires that heavy-vehicles are monitored re trip times and routes...?
hmm.....
Navin H Sankersingh